By varying recipes with different malts, hops and yeasts, craft brewers produce summer beers, The goal is to deliver flavor while keeping the body lighter and more refreshing on a hot day.

Substituting wheat for some or all of the barley delivers a lighter body with crisp tartness. Different hops add summery notes, from the aromatic orange rind nose of Pacifica hops to the lemony, spicy flavor of the German Noble hop. Yeasts also play their part: Bavarian yeast, for example, add tropical fruit and a hint of clove.

Brewers can add extra flavors like fresh citrus zest, coriander or thyme, or a touch of caramel malt for sweeter notes.

For your drinking pleasure, we’ve pulled together a list of the classic summer beers. All are made by American craft brewers and available as imports. Consider having a tasting of the different styles, and pick your favorites to enjoy them through the rest of the summer. As the weeks fly by, they’ll be replaced on store shelves soon enough with Oktoberfest beer and pumpkin ale.

Fruit Beer. These include the classic Belgian lambics (look for cherry kriek and framboise/frambozen) and newer American styles. U.S. craft brewers add fresh puréed berries or other summer fruits into the secondary fermentation.

With its hazy golden color and bright character, Samuel Adams Summer Ale has crisp citrus notes from the Noble hops, wheat and lemon peel and the subtle peppery spice of grains of paradise. Photo courtesy LiteratureAndLibation.com.

Hefeweizen (also called Hefeweisse, Hefeweissbier and Weissbier). This light bodied wheat beer from Bavaria can still offer great complexity; the body is crisp and effervescent. Hefeweizen is German for “yeast wheat” (Hefe = yeast, weizen = wheat); the traditional Bavarian Hefeweizen/Weissbier yeast strain creates flavors of banana and spicy clove. Hefeweizen is not filtered before bottling; thus, the yeast continue to act (this is known as bottle conditioning) and there may be sediment in the bottle (ignore it).

Kölsch. This pale golden ale, developed in Cologne (Köln), Germany, uses a strain of yeast that gives it a very distinct flavor profile. Light straw in color with layers of delicate fruit, Kölsch has a very balanced crispness with a slight sweetness.

Brooklyn Summer Ale is brewed with English
barley malt, which gives this light bodied
golden beer a fresh bready flavor. German
and American hops lend a light, crisp
bitterness and a citrus/floral aroma. Photo
courtesy Brooklyn Brewery.

Summer Lager. Also called Helles-style; “Helles” is the German word for “light.” Don’t expect anything like a mass-produced American “Lite” beer: These beers are maltier and hoppier summer lagers that are bright with fresh grain character. Brewers often choose hops hops that provide notes of citrus and spice.

Saison. Saison, the French word for season, is a French farmhouse ale. Historically, it was a refreshing summer ale made by farmers for their own consumption. Modern commercial versions are generally around 7% ABV, highly carbonated, fruity and spicy—sometimes from hops, sometimes from the addition of spices.

Summer Ale. Also called English summer ale, this is a lighter version of a classic pale ale. It retains the wonderful flavors and aromas of ale’s malt and hops, while using a significant portion of wheat for a lighter body and crisp finish.

Unfiltered Wheat Ale/Beer. See Hefeweizen, above. These beers are left unfiltered to retain all of the flavors derived from the malt and yeast. Don’t be put off by the cloudiness; enjoy the depth of flavor profile.

Wheat Ale. Wheat enhances the mouthfeel of the beer. Some brewers add orange peel, coriander or other flavors for refreshing notes

Witbier. A Belgian specialty, typically brewed with orange peel and coriander for summer refreshment.

Check out the history of beer and the different styles of beer.

In both bite-size recipes, lush summer strawberries are filled with a mascarpone whipped cream, a combination of rich mascarpone and heavy cream. Mascarpone cheese gives the whipped cream filling extra body and flavor.

The strawberries are easy to fill and decorate. Prep time is just 15 minutes. Add some blueberries for a red, white, and blue dessert.
 
 
RECIPE #1: STRAWBERRIES & MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM

Ingredients For 4 Servings

Strawberries filled with mascarpone whipped cream (photo © Driscoll’s).

1. CUT stems off of the strawberries and place stem-side down on the cutting board. You have two choices to proceed: (1) Cut the berry into three, including a “hat,” as shown in the photo; or cut off the pointed end and scoop out a bit of the strawberry pulp to create room for more filling. Both versions are shown in the photo.

2. PLACE the mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until thickened and smooth.

3. PLACE the mascarpone mixture in a piping bag with a star tip attached or in a plastic bag with one corner cut off. In option 1, slowly pipe the mascarpone cream atop the bottom and middle thirds of the berry and top with the “hat.” In option 2, pipe the mixture into the center of the berry, create a rounded mound on top, and top it with optional garnish.

4. REFRIGERATE until ready to serve.

RECIPE #2: LEMON MASCARPONE STRAWBERRY TULIPS

Here, the simple yet elegant strawberry treat is enhanced with a lemon-flavored filling and a tulip shape. Prep time is 15 minutes.

Ingredients For 16 Pieces

1. CUT stems off of the strawberries and place stem-side down on the cutting board. Cut each strawberry lengthwise into quarters, stopping just before the knife hits the cutting board, so the berries stay intact. Place on a serving platter.

2. COMBINE mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, sugar, lemon curd, and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the cream is thickened and smooth. Place the mascarpone mixture in a piping bag with a star tip attached or a plastic bag and cut off one corner of the bag to pipe.

3. PRESS one small blueberry down through the center of each strawberry, taking care to keep the berries intact. (It’s a blueberry “surprise.”) Slowly pipe the mascarpone cream into the strawberries until filled. Top berries with a single blueberry and garnish with lemon zest.

4. REFRIGERATE until ready to serve.
 
 
WHAT IS MASCARPONE

Mascarpone is sometimes referred to as “Italian cream cheese.” It’s softer and richer than American-style cream cheese, with less of a tang.

Mascarpone has an extraordinarily high butterfat content, unsurprising given that it’s made from the cream skimmed from cow’s milk. Truly fresh mascarpone has almost a sweet flavor, and this is a cheese with very low or no sodium. It’s highly perishable and must be kept cold.

In Italy, mascarpone is often served with fresh fruit instead of the American preference for whipped cream. It is what gives tiramisu its creaminess. While some think mascarpone is the chief component of cannolis, it is actually ricotta. Mascarpone or ricotta is used in Italian cheesecake.

Mascarpone is believed to have originated in the Lombardy region of Italy, most likely in the late 1500s or early 1600s. The name “mascarpone” may come from the Spanish “mas que bueno” (“better than good”), a holdover from the days when the Spanish ruled Italy.

Another possibility is that the name is derived from “mascarpia,” the local dialect term for ricotta, because both ricotta and mascarpone are made by very similar processes.

Look for American-made mascarpone from Crave Brothers or Vermont Creamery. Try eating it from the container with a spoon!

More about mascarpone.
 
 

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It you like Fig Newtons—or wish you liked them more—there’s a better “Newton” in town. (The history of Fig Newtons and more Newton content follows below.

It’s called Figgies & Jammies and the cookies are from Pamela’s Products, maker of delicious gluten-free cookies, bars and mixes. The flavors include:

 
Filled with real Mission figs and complementary fruits, this gluten-free version of the traditional fig cookie is so delicious, even people who don’t prefer gluten-free foods will prefer them.

The pie-like cookie portion is more tender, the fruit flavors are brighter. The size is a bit larger than Fig Newtons.

The cookies are not just gluten free, but egg free, low in sodium and all natural. There are no hydrogenated oils or trans fats, no cholesterol, no corn syrup.

The line is certified gluten-free by GFCO and certified kosher (dairy) by OU (the hechsher is hidden under the fold of the seam).

You can find a store locator on the company website, or buy them online from Pamela’s.

Below:

> The history of Fig Newtons.

> Beyond Newtons: elevated brands of fig cookies.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of cookies.

> The year’s 44 cookie holidays. (National Fig Newton Day is January 16th.)

> The 10 basic styles of cookies (Fig Newton is in the “filled cookie” category).

> The different varieties of of cookies: a photo glossary.
 
 
FIG NEWTON HISTORY: WHY A “NEWTON?”

January 16th is National Fig Newton Day, honoring a cookie so anchored in 19th-century history that it was a favorite of our great-grandfather. And our family history, too: Great-grandfather was born in the same year as the Fig Newton.

The Fig Newton was named after the town of Newton, Massachusetts. It was the custom of the original manufacturer, Kennedy Biscuit Works of Cambridgeport (now Cambridge, Massachusetts), to name cookies after towns in the Boston area.

According to Nabisco, the cookie was co-invented in 1891:

 
The machine was patented in 1892, and Mitchell approached the Kennedy Biscuit Company to try it out. They were impressed—all that was needed was a name. Newton, Massachusetts got the honor (the Boston-based company often named their cookies after local towns, and had already produced cookies named Beacon Hill, Harvard, and Shrewsbury).

Just think: We could have Fig Lexingtons or Fig Concords instead!

In 1898, Kennedy Biscuit Works and New York Biscuit Company became part of the massive National Biscuit Company (later named Nabisco), leading to nationwide distribution and iconic status, with sales growing exponentially and the brand eventually diversifying beyond fig, though the original remains a classic.

In the 1980s, Nabisco launched additional flavors of Newton. Today you can revel in Newtons! Beyond Original Fig came Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry, Cherry, Mixed Berry, Strawberry, Triple Berry, and Raspberry, plus fig bars, fig cookies, and . Here’s the current lineup.

Given additional fruit flavors, in 2012, the brand became simply Newtons, with packages labeled by flavor.
 
 

[6] Turn a cookie snack into a full-blown dessert: Fig Newtons à la mode with caramel sauce.
 
 
FIG NEWTON ALTERNATIVES

[1] Yes, they’re better than Fig Newtons (photos #1 and #2 Elvira Kalviste | © The Nibble).

[2] Four figalicious flavors.

[3] Bake your own standard-gluten cookies with this recipe (photo © Ruffles And Trends).

[4] A sophisticated snack: Brie and sliced almonds atop a Fig Newton. Here’s the recipe (photos #4, #5, and #6 © Nabisco | Mondelez International)

[5] Now, they’re one of several flavors of Newtons.

Here are some brands that make elevated takes on Fig Newton‑style cookies or fig bars:

Shortbread or butter-cookie fig sandwiches: buttery and more indulgent than Newtons.
 

[7] Cuccidata, a Sicilian fig cookie. Here’s the recipe (photo © Taste Of Home).

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Each of the three fun shapes is 3.5 inches in diameter, and stamps out the dough to make mini pies, pizza pockets, filled dumplings and more.

Just press the stamp to cut the dough, fill and press down on the lever to crimp the pocket edges together. Any dough works (think pasta dough, phyllo dough, pie dough, pizza dough), or use sandwich bread or tortillas.

The Pocket Makers create savory or sweet fun foods, from spicy chicken empanadas for a first or main course to individual apple pies for dessert. Our favorite idea: jumbo ravioli.

Each set includes three red pocket makers in flower, heart and round shapes, plus a recipe book filled with tasty ideas for every day and special occasions.

This gadget set could be just the thing to coax a young person into baking…or give new inspiration to a seasoned baker.

Pocket Makers are constructed of BPA-free plastic stamps are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

The Kuhn Rikon Pocket Maker Set has a suggested retail price of $16 and is available at Amazon.com and Sur La Table stores.

Discover more delightful products at KuhnRikon.com.

Today, it’s the “new” banana split in the photo: freed from its roots.

The traditional banana split is a type of ice cream sundae made in a long dish called a boat (hence the alternate term, banana boat).

The banana is cut in half lengthwise (the “split”) and placed on the bottom of the boat. The banana is topped with three scoops of ice cream—vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream—placed in a row between the split banana halves. Chocolate, pineapple, and strawberry sauces are spooned over the ice cream, in no particular pairing. The sundae is garnished with whipped cream, crushed nuts, and a maraschino cherry.

Check out how to make a banana split party bar, below.
 
 
BANANA SPLIT HISTORY

The soda fountains of yore were the equivalent of today’s Starbucks, where people met for refreshments and socializing. Soda jerks were the mixologists of their day*, inventing treats to excite customers. Malted milks, banana splits, and phosphates emerged at the soda fountains of neighborhood drugstores in the 1890s.

In those days, “jerk” was not a derogatory term; it referred to the quick, sharp pull as the attendant drew the carbonated water tap forward.

David Evans Strickler, a 23-year-old apprentice pharmacist at Tassel Pharmacy in Latrobe, Pennsylvania†, enjoyed taking on the soda jerk role and inventing sundaes at the store’s soda fountain. He invented the banana-based triple scoop ice cream sundae in 1904.

The sundae originally cost 10 cents, twice the price of other sundaes, and caught on with students of nearby Saint Vincent College. In those pre-digital days, news of the nifty new sundae quickly spread by word-of-mouth and written correspondence.

It must have done well for Strickler: He went on to buy the pharmacy, renaming it Strickler’s Pharmacy.

Then, plan a banana split party, where guests create their modern interpretations. It could become your signature annual event!

The city of Latrobe celebrated the 100th anniversary of the invention of the banana split in 2004. In the same year, the National Ice Cream Retailers Association certified Latrobe as the birthplace of the banana split. It hosts an annual Great American Banana Split Festival in late August (sorry, there’s no website), and the city has the original soda fountain where the banana split was created.

Others tried their hand at the recipe. One, published in 1907, called for a lengthwise split banana, two cones of ice cream at each end of the dish, and a mound of whipped cream in between with maraschino cherry on top. One end was covered with chopped mixed nuts and the other with chopped mixed fruits. [Source: Wikipedia]

Here’s the history of the ice cream sundae, and the long history of ice cream in general.
 
 
PARTY TIME: BANANA SPLIT BAR

How about throwing a banana split party, where guests can invent their own banana splits? Here’s what you need to put together:

 
Ingredients for the “new” banana split:

____________

*Their day was the late 1800s through the early 1900s.

†Latrobe is approximately 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The city population was 8,338 as of the 2010 census.

[1] The new banana split: exciting (photo © SushiSamba [now closed]).

[2] Traditional banana split (photo © California Milk Advisory Board).

[3] We like how I Heart Naptime switched it up with caramel sauce and chocolate chips. Here’s the recipe (photo © I Heart Naptime).

[4] This Breakfast Banana Split uses scoops of watermelon instead of hice cream. Here’s the recipe (photo © National Watermelon Promotion Board).

[5] Banana Split Sushi. Here’s the recipe (photo © RA Sushi).

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.